25% of EV drivers regularly use an ICE car

A quarter (25%) of electric vehicle owners also own or regularly drive a car with an internal combustion engine (ICE), according to Zap Map.

It’s annual EV Charging Survey revealed that among those drivers who also have a petrol or diesel vehicle, electric is chosen for the vast majority of journeys. 

The type of journey electric is most likely to be favoured for is a local daily trip such as going shopping, the school run or eating out, for which 85% of the time dual fuel drivers will take the EV. 

For commutes, 71% these drivers use their EV, and even for journeys of over 100 miles 67% will stick with electric. Even for UK based holidays, likely to involve long cross-country journeys reliant on the public charging network, a majority of 55% will leave the fossil fuel car at home. 

Melanie Shufflebotham, COO & co-founder of Zap-Map, said: “Our survey has shown for several years now that once you go electric, you don’t go back. This year we’ve gone further to show that drivers who haven’t quite let their conventional car go yet still choose to drive their electric. Even for those long cross-country journeys where a charge stop is likely to be necessary. 

“It’s an endorsement for EVs that even when the option is open to take the fossil fuel car, drivers are very happy to stick with electric.”

The Zap-Map survey showed that 49% of EV owners drive just one full battery-electric vehicle, 8% two or more and 2% own or regularly use one battery electric and one plug-in hybrid electric vehicle.